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Reloop Brief

by Reloop

Non-Profit Business News

Season 2

A brief look at reuse at major events in Toronto

In this episode, Shraddha Kumar continues her conversation with Emily Alfred from the Toronto Environmental Alliance, looking at what major events can teach us about reuse in practice. While full reuse did not make it into FIFA stadiums for the World Cup, there were still important lessons from the ground, from waste sorting efforts at fan sites to reusable systems at Pride Toronto and Live Nation’s rollout of reusable cups across major outdoor venues in Toronto. As Emily explains, better waste sorting is important, but it also shows just how much staff time and effort goes into managing single-use packaging once it has already been created. Part one of the conversation is available on the previous episode.

A brief look at reuse in Canada's outdoor events and the FIFA World Cup.

What can the world's biggest sporting events teach us about making reuse work? ♻️ In this episode, Shraddha Kumar speaks with Emily Alfred, Senior Waste Campaigner at the Toronto Environmental Alliance, about the lessons learned from FIFA-related reuse efforts in Canada. The conversation explores why Toronto and Vancouver faced challenges implementing reuse systems at FIFA venues, while also highlighting the practical wins beyond the stadiums, including successful fan festival initiatives and the momentum they're creating for future mega-events. In the next episode of the Reloop Brief, we'll look beyond FIFA to showcase existing reuse systems across Canada and the real-world successes already happening today.

A brief look at Australia’s push for 20-cent refunds

In this episode of The Reloop Brief, Shraddha Kumar speaks with Rob Kelman, Reloop Pacific Director, about Australia’s 20 Cents Makes Sense campaign and the push to increase container refund values from 10 cents to 20 cents. Rob explains why refund value matters, how Australia’s container deposit schemes compare with higher-performing systems internationally, and why return rates risk stagnating without stronger incentives. The conversation also explores the broader packaging reform context in Australia, including the links between deposit return, extended producer responsibility, recycled material supply, and economic resilience.

A brief look at Re-turn Ireland: From strong start to lasting success

In this episode of the Reloop Brief, Barry Snedden speaks with Ciaran Foley from Re-turn about how Ireland’s deposit system is performing just over two years after launch. They discuss the strong progress the scheme has made, including overall container collection now exceeding 90% when mixed recycling is included, a sharp drop in litter and the growing role communities are playing in making the system a success. The conversation also looks ahead to how Ireland can improve convenience, drive more returns through education and continue building support for separate collection over mixed recycling. From charity donations and community fundraising to digital refund options and questions around unredeemed deposits, they explore both the achievements and the potential for Ireland’s DRS as it continues to evolve.

A brief look at reuse: Lessons from Copenhagen and Aarhus

Single-use coffee cups have become a major contributor to city waste streams. Around 500 billion single-use cups are disposed of globally every year, and cities spend roughly 30–50% of their urban litter budgets managing single-use waste. In this extended episode of the Reloop Brief, Barry Snedden speaks with Jenni Hume, who joined Zero Waste Europe’s study tour examining reusable cup systems in Copenhagen and Aarhus. The trip brought together around 70 participants, including NGOs, European city officials, industry stakeholders and reuse experts. The episode also features the audience Q&A recorded after the first screening of a new short film produced by Reloop and the Marine Conservation Society. The film takes a closer look at how the REUSABLE cup system in Aarhus operates alongside Denmark’s deposit return system. The panel includes Simon Rossau from the REUSABLE system in Aarhus, Stine Ullmann-Poulsen from Dansk Retursystem, and Catherine Gemmell-Simpson from the Marine Conservation Society. To view the three films produced as part of this project, visit reloopplatform.org/films

A brief look at 2025: Advocacy, data, and deposits

In this year-end special, we rewind through an eventful 2025—the year that Reloop turned ten and The Reloop Brief began. Host, Barry Snedden revisits standout moments from the season: activist Merijn “Plastic Soup Surfer” Tinga live from his paddleboard; Jackie Núñez on moving beyond “straws” to system change; Reloop CEO Clarissa Morawski on hard data proving deposits cut beverage litter; Data & Dashboard Manager Jason Wilcox on turning evidence into action with “What We Waste” and the "Global Deposit Dashboard", as well as Reloop Pacific’s Rob Kelman on Australia becoming the first continent fully covered by deposit systems—and what it takes to keep return rates high. From grassroots sparks to policy implementation, the episode threads one story: credible data + citizen pressure + informed policy = circular outcomes.

A brief look at Reloop's data dashboards

In this episode, Barry Snedden takes us behind the scenes with Jason Wilcox, Reloop’s Data & Dashboard Manager, to see how evidence turns into action. Jason explains the goals of Reloop's two live dashboards: What We Waste and the Global Deposit Dashboard. They discuss the work that goes into building these interactive tools: consolidating disparate spreadsheets, analysing from a “bird’s-eye view” to reveal patterns, and then using simple visuals to tell a clear story, backed by transparent, clickable sources for each data point. Jason also provides a sneak peek at his next build, aiming to quantify which policies most effectively cut litter.

A brief look at Spain's pathway to a deposit return system

Spain is on the cusp of introducing a national deposit return system for beverage containers by 2026. In this episode, Barry Snedden sits down with Miquel Roset, Director of Retorna, to discuss what must happen next to deliver the DRS on time. They also touch on Portugal’s newly announced DRS start date and why Iberian momentum matters, Retorna’s work co-founding the Global DRS Platform to support deposits across the Global South, and a preview of Madrid’s upcoming Global Conference of Experts - a first-rate gathering of system operators, NGOs, governments and industry to swap lessons and discuss best practice.

A brief look at the future of reuse and deposit return in France

For this episode, we visit France as Shraddha Kumar checks in with Reloop’s Director for France and Francophonie, Alexis Eisenberg. Together, they cover why a national deposit return system is still pending, how a major pilot is rolling out across four regions, and what Reloop's Tour de France de la consigne revealed about the future of reuse and recycling. Plus, how the EU’s new packaging rules (PPWR) fit with France’s own targets — and whether a mixed DRS could be the way forward.

A brief look at Reloop's 10th Anniversary Conference - Reloop Unpacks

To mark Reloop’s 10th anniversary EU Green Week event—Reloop Unpacks—we asked participants two simple questions: What will the next 10 years bring for the circular economy and for Reloop? What were your key takeaways? In this recap, you’ll hear insights from conference attendees, from Deutsche Umwelthilfe, Fair Resource Foundation, Eunomia, and Retorna. Themes converge on a practical roadmap: design for prevention and reuse, make consumer returns effortless (retail take-back), fund with robust EPR, measure with shared, transparent tools, and scale successes globally, especially through North–South collaboration.

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